Bobby Wagner: We got way better this year

Posted by Josh Alper on July 15, 2014, 3:42 PM EDT

AP

During an appearance on ESPN Tuesday, Seahawks linebacker Bobby Wagner said that he thought the Broncos “looked scared” when they took the field in what turned out to be a 43-8 victory for Seattle in the Super Bowl.

Based on the rest of Wagner’s comments, he doesn’t think the Broncos are the last team that will turn timid when faced with a matchup with the Seahawks. Wagner said that the Seahawks have followed up on a great season and Super Bowl title by becoming an even better team.

“I think we got way better this year,” Wagner said, via SeattlePI.com. “Because we’re all so young, so we’re still growing. Even Russell [Wilson] — Russell’s still young, he’s still young in the game. We’re all still growing.”

The Seahawks do look well positioned for continued success in 2014 and beyond as a result of how young and deep they were in 2013, but football history has plenty of teams that looked like they were going to go on long runs as a championship contender only for things to go wrong on the way. A lot of things have to break right to make it to the Super Bowl and the Seahawks could well be more talented without advancing that far this season.

Those bumps in the road are tough to predict, though, and having a talented team is the best way to weather them without totally falling by the wayside. The Seahawks have such a team and that’s the most you can do to set yourself up for success.

I’m a Packers fan and while we’re the only team to lose a game by picking it off- the Seahawks are the best team in the league right now. They’re allowed to talk all they want after what they did in the Super Bowl. Do you want to make this team shut their collective mouths? Then beat them.

weepingjebus says:Jul 15, 2014 3:58 PM

So I’ve studied the Broncos’ opening play safety. A lot. There’s much to be amazed by — Peyton getting flagged for causing his line to jump, the distance the botched snap flies, and the speed with which the Seahawks shed blockers in an effort to recover. But what really gets me is a little noticed fact: Peyton starts off sprinting back towards the live ball, but pulls up when the Seahawks players appear in his peripheral vision because he doesn’t want to get tackled. He just lets Moreno eat it instead, doesn’t even try to block for him, which the overhead angles make really clear. Not taking contact was more important to him than winning the Super Bowl.

It’s not cheating, the NFL says it is tolerable to have your team members using PEDs and it’s on you to make sure you have the reserves needed to pick up the slack for any games that they have to miss.

The formula for winning the Super Bowl is clearly established by the league:

Wagner is right. There are only a handful of teams that know how to properly match the Seahawks. Denver, nor *any* AFC team, had NEVER played such a physical team as that of Seattle the whole season. The 49ers and probably Carolina would’ve done the same thing to Denver in the SB.

Denver wasn’t scared. They were merely overwhelmed. Period. Seattle won that game through and through.

Logicalvoices, pftpoet, and your 50 other login names. You really have a pathetic life if you sit here all day hitting the refresh button to click on the next new story and make the same old jokes that were played out months ago. Seek therapy

scrp2 says:Jul 15, 2014 4:13 PM

This is a copy cat league but what’s gonna be tough for other teams to match is the coach, players and front office working together in unison. That’s a problem for most teams.

The PED accusations are so overblown in these comments it’s hard to know where to begin. Each of you who have so far complained (repeatedly) about the Seahawks PED have your own team to worry about. Every single team in the NFL is dealing with PEDs. I’m not apologizing for any PED use. I’m just pointing out the pot calling the kettle black.

Regardless of whether or not PFTpoet admits it, the Seahawks won the Superbowl. I call continual BS on the part of that asinine commentor and supporter of the crummy football team in Minnesota. Your team has never amounted to a hill of beans and you are extremely butt-hurt that your players come play for the Seahawks and now some of them have a Superbowl ring to show for it.

There hasn’t been any Seahawks players suspended this season. And so far there has been 1 Viking suspended and 3 redskins suspended. Look in the mirror, you trolls.

As a Seahawk fan, I have to agree with some of the 49er fans. There simply isn’t a team in the AFC following the Baltimore break-up that is physical on the level of Carolina, SanFran, or Seattle.

In the next few years I see Smith taking the Tampa crew and remaking it into Defensive powerhouse as well, but I think the day of offensive teams being elite is gone. Denver vs Seattle proved that fact.

ranger764 says:Jul 15, 2014 5:09 PM

It was one year. The Seahawks won big and deserved it. Past success doesn’t guarantee future success. Look at some of the other great defensive teams that won a superbowl and never made it back. It’s tough to win on a regular basis. But Denver will put on the pads again this year and go at it again this year. And they got better too.
For all the people saying that Carolina and San Fran would have done the same thing the Seahawks did, that’s just speculation. You have no way of proving that. I can say that Denver would have blown out the 49ers and Panthers and that doesn’t matter either. That’s the great thing about this time of year, you get to dream big for your team! (and stop dwelling on the past).

seahawkfanfrom1970s says:Jul 15, 2014 5:12 PM

Yes I agree that the Seahawks got better in the offseason. Certainly by leaps and bounds better than the NFL’s most laughable franchises. The Vikings come immediately to mind.

rainponcho87 says:Jul 15, 2014 5:15 PM

Seahawks are a strong team, but I think this kind of boasting is not a good move…Saying the other team was scared. Yes they demolished Denver, but it only takes a couple of players leaving or getting injured before you are a lot more vulnerable. Teams are going to remember this talk and get really really up for pounding you when you are down. Live by the sword…..

thereisfootballwestofjersey says:Jul 15, 2014 5:18 PM

I think this “they were scared” business would qualify as bulletin board material for the Sept 21 rematch.

Something to consider: Manning is about 1,000% better in Sept-Nov than he is in December and January.

I’ll take the Donkey’s and the points

scoobaj says:Jul 15, 2014 5:27 PM

They’re my favorites to repeat because they have zero weaknesses, if this team stays relatively healthy they will be hard to beat. This team is full of ultra competitive leaders who have a refuse to lose attitude and a fierce, almost arrogant confidence. Having the most talented roster and most depth makes it almost unfair.

Hawks fans, you better just go ahead and accept that “PED” will be used in every story about your team for a minimum of 3 years. We’re still getting “Brees wants and explanation” and “Bountygate blah blah blah.”

So I’ve studied the Broncos’ opening play safety. A lot. There’s much to be amazed by — Peyton getting flagged for causing his line to jump, the distance the botched snap flies, and the speed with which the Seahawks shed blockers in an effort to recover. But what really gets me is a little noticed fact: Peyton starts off sprinting back towards the live ball, but pulls up when the Seahawks players appear in his peripheral vision because he doesn’t want to get tackled. He just lets Moreno eat it instead, doesn’t even try to block for him, which the overhead angles make really clear. Not taking contact was more important to him than winning the Super Bowl.

===================================

All true, but that scenario PROBABLY wouldn’t have played out that way, IF my LSU guy, Trindon Holliday, hadn’t run the ball out from that deep in the end zone.

flannlv says:Jul 15, 2014 7:01 PM

I don’t know which is worse, studying a snap which went over the QB’s head resulting in a safety “a lot” or calling out the QB for not risking injury on the games first play from scrimmage with 59 mins still remaining in the game.

osiris33 says:Jul 15, 2014 7:07 PM

wimpyburgers says:

But the Indianapolis Colts speedy receivers ran the Seahawks out of Lucas Field…… and that is why other teams loaded up on fast receivers.
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Nice theory but untrue. The game was at 10AM, a start time when west coast teams are always asleep at the wheel. That resulted in several uncharacteristic breakdowns in coverage. Add to that 3 horrific calls that gave the Colts 6 points they didn’t earn and took off 5 points the Seahawks did and you have a comfortable Seahawks win. Any team can drop a game here or there if they get bad calls and fluky pays against them. See Arizona vs Seattle week 16.

Winning a Super Bowl requires a lot of things to go right, but Wagner is right- the Seahawks are better this year. There is true speed at WR now, so there will be guys open on a consistent basis. The D looks like it will be outstanding again, and getting Christine Michael some carries can only be a good thing. I wonder whether Schneider did enough to improve the OL, especially since Wilson was one of the most pressured QBs in the NFL last year and Lynch’s ypa went down, but I doubt there will be as many injuries on the line this year. That alone should improve play in the trenches.

The guy that said that the 49ers and Panthers would have done the same thing to Denver that Seattle did is absolutely correct. I would take it even further and say that the top 8 teams in the NFC would have beat Denver. Maybe not as bad as Seattle did, but the AFC was just that bad last year.

Denver’s done some great things this offseason and have a better chance at returning to the championship game than any NFC team, but the great thing about the NFL is that you never know. Teams can look great now, but with injuries, luck, and timely momentum, you just never know.

I told him when I met him this summer he is the most underrated MLB in football. Bobby Wagner is talking what most of us who already know football could tell you. Young teams guys making that leap from 2nd-3rd year can have some growth. Anyone who watched the game saw that hit Kam put on D. Thomas could that hit shook up Denver.

The uncomfortable truth is that Denver would have been poleaxed by a lot of teams. Santa Clara, St. Louis, Arizona, New Orleans, and Carolina would have made the Broncos look ordinary.

capn0bvious says:Jul 15, 2014 9:25 PM

I can understand the Broncos being scared after halftime, but I think at the start of the game, they were overconfident, they believed their own press. They thought the Seahawks would be an amusing little pushover. You could see the looks of utter shock on the sidelines toward the end of the game. I think if the Seahawks and the Broncos were to rematch in SB49, the score will be much closer.

“I’m a Packers fan and while we’re the only team to lose a game by picking it off- the Seahawks are the best team in the league right now. They’re allowed to talk all they want after what they did in the Super Bowl. Do you want to make this team shut their collective mouths? Then beat them.”…..

Pretty much sums it up!

Like it or not, the ‘Hawks are poised to sustain their dominance for a few years yet. There will always be the undeniable probability related to injuries. That is where the element of competition and depth come into play with Seattle. They are simply better equipped to handle a man down than most teams. Their backups are more than capable of stepping up in those situations. Starters on most clubs.

The D isn’t going to slip. What will surprise people the most is how the offense is going to perform. It should be one of the most efficiently effective systems in the league with an unparalleled execution of balance. That combination is nowhere to be found in the NFL, except in Seattle.

In parting I would like to wish the Vikings the best of luck on their unrelenting ascension to mediocrity…

Bobby Wagner is engaged in wishful thinking. Gone are DL Red Bryant, Clinton McDonald and Chris Clemons, WR Golden Tate, OL Breno Giacomini, CB Walter Thurmond and Brandon Browner. Cam Chancellor had hip surgery in the offseason. All these things made the Seahawks better than last year? That is nuts. The Seahawks won home field advantage by a single game last year, and they won 4 close games that they could have easily lost. If by losing so much talent they slip by just one or two games this year, they could be playing all but one of their playoff games on the road. That could keep them from repeating, despite what Vegas odds makers say.

St. Louis’s secondary would have been shredded by Peyton…..Even with the best DE in the game right now. Not to mention they couldn’t muster enough offense to keep up.

I personally think Seattle defense as a whole is on a higher level than any of the teams you mention, shoot, offense too. And Seattle’s game plan for Peyton would not matched by any team either.

Minimize Seattle’s overwhelming victory if you want, but Seattle proved without a doubt that they were the best team last year. And yes, I thought the exact same thing, Denver looked scared. And I’ve been a huge Peyton fan since his rookie year and still believe he is the best QB in the game…..ever.

higheriqthanyou says:Jul 16, 2014 12:17 AM

I’m in SF for a conference.

Wore a Hawks Champ shirt.

It was one more football shirt than I saw the entire time.

SF worries about the Giants, not the 49ers.

Guess that’s what happens when you haven’t won in this century.

higheriqthanyou says:Jul 16, 2014 12:20 AM

It’s true that you can’t really say SF or Carolina would have done the same thing to Denver.

It was a bad matchup for Denver. Our DBs are our strength – not SF or Carolina.

But they still would have likely won.

The fact is Seattle’s defense will be as good if not better but the offense will be MUCH better with speed other teams haven’t seen; at least from us.

Nice theory but untrue. The game was at 10AM, a start time when west coast teams are always asleep at the wheel.
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That has to be the worst excuse for a loss that I ever heard. You’re actually saying that your team lost because of the start time? Really?

Pathetic excuse.

citynative says:Jul 16, 2014 1:21 AM

osiris33 says:
Jul 15, 2014 7:07 PM
wimpyburgers says:

But the Indianapolis Colts speedy receivers ran the Seahawks out of Lucas Field…… and that is why other teams loaded up on fast receivers.
————————–
Nice theory but untrue. The game was at 10AM, a start time when west coast teams are always asleep at the wheel. That resulted in several uncharacteristic breakdowns in coverage. Add to that 3 horrific calls that gave the Colts 6 points they didn’t earn and took off 5 points the Seahawks did and you have a comfortable Seahawks win. Any team can drop a game here or there if they get bad calls and fluky pays against them. See Arizona vs Seattle week 16.
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And yet Seahawks fans call Niners fans whiners?

usdcoyotesfan says:Jul 16, 2014 2:51 AM

The Seahawks didn’t beat the Broncos, the Broncos did.

RegisHawk says:Jul 16, 2014 6:20 AM

I was glad to see Stephen A Smith apologize to Bobby Wagner. Now he’s only got 52 other players (and various coaches) to go.

BTW, when the team is good, and somebody asks a player if they think the team is good, and he says “Yes, this team is good,” it’s not boasting. Maybe if your team was good, you’d understand that (lookin’ at you, Vikes trolls).

As for PEDs & Substance Abuse, I’ve heard more from the Giants, Colts, Redskins and Vikings this offseason than I have from the Seahawks. Look to your own teams.

Along with the NFC West…I see the Broncos will be facing a more physical NE with Revis and Browner…and the Bengals are pretty physical for an AFC team as well…Wagner is really a nice kid…the guys on ESPN were baiting him…as far as catching balls over the middle…watch the film…Besides the NFC West, the NFC South are very physical (Atlanta will be back in 2014)…I think the NFC North is working it’s way back as well to the “Black and Blue ” namesake…Both Seattle and Denver have tough tasks in front of them

wizbanginhumdinger says:
Jul 15, 2014 10:40 PM
Oh yea,…A lot of teams could have dismantled the Broncos in the Super Bowl,…but, unfortunately for them, they didn’t seem to be good enough to obtain that opportunity.

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Dang, dude. You can’t even take a concession nor a compliment all in the same response. You’re so blinded by your own vitriol you can’t even recognize respect when it’s given. Stating the 49ers or Carolina would’ve done the same thing to Denver isn’t a slight on Seattle but a tacit recognition to the superiority that is the NFC and its teams right now.

Get a grip. Take the respect without thinking you have to be offended just to be offended because you don’t know how else to be angry except assuming everyone is hating.

Bobby Wagner is engaged in wishful thinking. Gone are DL Red Bryant, Clinton McDonald and Chris Clemons, WR Golden Tate, OL Breno Giacomini, CB Walter Thurmond and Brandon Browner. Cam Chancellor had hip surgery in the offseason. All these things made the Seahawks better than last year? That is nuts

Can’t wait for week 3. Broncos @ Seahawks. We’ll see if the SB was a fluke. Good luck Manning, but by the end of the game your going to wish you were really in Omaha. I’m more worried about @Washington, and @Carolina. LMAO Champs at last, let’s repeat!